Honey Spiced Chili
Fall is going full steam, and it’s time for me to start making chili. There is nothing as satisfying as a bowl of chili — filled with meat or veggies, beans, and warm spices. A meal like this can really take the chill off!! So, I’m sharing a new recipe with you for Honey Spiced Chili.
By the way, I’ve been investigating Spanish cuisine lately. Did you know that many Spanish dishes have honey in them to balance the fatty, acidic qualities in the food? I first saw this when I was watching Bobby Flay on his Brunch at Bobbys. Since that time, I have found many chefs who have a Spanish flare to their menus do use honey.
Are Red Peppers Healthy?
Yes, they are. I’m giving you a new resource for investigating healthy food. Cooking with Qi, written by Qigong Practitioner Jeff Primack. I’ve known Jeff for over a decade now. In fact, he was my QiGong instructor. He is a knowledgeable researcher, well-connected in the medical field, has proven personal and customer results, and truly is dedicated to creating health. Jeff not only agrees with those experts that say, “Eat the Rainbow.” He found which color foods create the most health. He’s backed these findings with decades of research and results.
What color food is the most beneficial for creating more health? Jeff says, “The more RED the food is, the more carotenoids (free radical neutralizers) are in the food.” Let me point you to the research out there on lycopene, which is present in tomatoes and strengthened when tomatoes are made into paste. For example, Shi and Mauguer, et al. say:
Lycopene consistently exhibits a physical quenching rate with singlet oxygen almost twice as high as B-Carotene.
Red Peppers have even more carotenoids (capsanthin and capsorubin) in in them than tomatoes (489nm vs 470nm). When your yard stick is free radical neutralization, that makes Red Peppers even more healthy than tomatoes!
The Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Bee Wild Honey
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 1 14.5-ounce can Ro-Tel Diced Tomatoes
- 1/2-1 small jalapeno pepper, finely diced (to taste)
- 2 15-ounce cans chili beans (drained and rinsed)
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon thyme, chopped
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
Instructions
- Brown ground beef; add onion, red pepper, and garlic clove.
- Cook the ingredients until the onion is almost translucent.
- Drain grease.
- Add tomatoes, jalapeno pepper, chili beans, chili powder, thyme, cumin, salt, pepper, and cinnamon.
- Stir all ingredients together well. Cover the pot and let simmer for 30 minutes.
- Check your seasonings and adjust the flavor.
- After simmering, stir in the honey and serve.
- Serve chili with a selection of toppings: sour cream, finely diced raw or green onion, grated cheese, diced avocado, pickled jalapenos, lime wedges, and tortilla chips.
Notes
For even more health creation, add 1 tbsp of Primack Red Pepper Paste when you add the tomatoes, etc. If you don't like the heat, use less jalapeno and remove the membranes, spines, and seeds from the pepper before you chop it. If you don't have a jalapeno handy, use Ro-Tel tomatoes and cayenne pepper to taste. If you don't have Ro-Tel tomatoes, you can use diced tomatoes and more jalapeno or cayenne. You can make your chili in an Instapot or Slow Cooker. It would be quite festive to arrange the pot of chili on the table family style, with a tray or small dishes of accompaniments available for anyone who wants them. Finally, you can add summer squash, winter squash, and/or greens to the chili to provide a larger variety of vegetables. If you use winter squash, adjust the amount of honey you use to taste.
NOTE: Since this recipe is so flexible, I have made several Notes in the recipe. I wanted to draw your attention to them. Additionally, my favorite vegetable add-ons to this recipe are chunks of zucchini and/or summer squash with several leaves of chopped kale or chard. Yummy!
